In motor vehicles with automatic or semi-automatic gearboxes, there is often a gear selector with a gear lever that is provided with a button or the like that is to be depressed in specific situations, for example when the gear lever is in the position “P” and is to be moved to any one of the other positions, or when moving the gear lever from a position for automatic gear changing to a position for semi-automatic gear changing.
In gear selectors with so-called “shift by wire” technology, in other words gear selectors where the position of the gear lever is detected by means of electronics and is then transmitted to the gearbox, there is a need to be able to detect by electronic means that such a button has been depressed.